WZZM-13 meteorologist George Lessens and news anchor Lee Van Ameyde -- shown at a celebration of the station's 50th anniversary last spring, may be off the Dish Network next week if a dispute over fees and commercial-skipping technology continues. MLive.com File Photo

Negotiations over fees are languishing between the ABC affiliate's parent company, Gannett Broadcasting, and DISH Network, threatening a blackout of the channel if the two do not reach a new retransmission agreement by midnight.

The issue came to light Friday, with the dispute appearing to center on distribution fees paid by DISH for broadcast of Gannett channels in 19 cities, including Grand Rapids.

In a news release dated Friday, DISH also asserted Gannett has demanded a "penalty" payment for customers who use its AutoHop commercial-skipping technology.

The executive told the financial news outlet the AutoHop feature was part of negotiations, but not central to the dispute.

Still, in a news released dated Friday, DISH said Gannett had "made it clear in documented proposals that it wants DISH to pay a significant penalty for allowing our customers access to AutoHop."

"Consumers have had the right to skip commercials since the advent of the remote control," the release states. "We are simply providing consumers with the choice to watch what they want, when they want."

On its website, WZZM warned customers the dispute could lead to a blackout of its programming should an agreement remain elusive.

Other cities whose DISH subscribers are threatened by the dispute include Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Jacksonville, Fla., and Knoxville, Tenn.

"WZZM has agreements in place with all of the video providers in our area," the station said on its website.

"Unfortunately, so far DISH has refused to reach a fair, market-based agreement with us," the station's statement continues. "If a deal is not reached by midnight on October 7, DISH subscribers will lose access to WZZM."

The fight is not the first to threaten a West Michigan TV station's distribution within the past year.